Friday, September 16, 2011

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

I regularly work with people with Borderline Personality Disorder using DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy). These clients seek psychotherapy for a wide range of reasons, including tumultuous relationships, anxiety, depression, PTSD, histories of abuse, addictions, self-harm (e.g. cutting, burning), and suicidal thoughts/attempts. These clients frequently face the dilemma of knowing they are in psychological pain but finding it difficult to trust mental health treatment providers. If you have been diagnosed with BPD, you are not alone. I cannot promise I am the right therapist for you. But I urge you to be intentional about selecting the right therapist. Make sure to ask any potential therapist about their qualifications specifically for working with BPD clients; ideally someone with training in DBT.

Sometimes, clients come to me because someone they love has BPD. Perhaps a parent has BPD or they are in an intimate relationship with someone with BPD. This can be a confusing and sometimes difficult experience. If this is you, you are not alone. There are indeed unique challenges of relating to someone with BPD. The book Stop Walking on Eggshells by Mason and Kreger does a good job of describing what it is like for people who are close to someone who has BPD. They have also written a workbook that includes practical ways of relating to someone you love with this disorder.